Don’t underfill or overfill the washing machine. Make your loads of wash close to machine weight capacity, which you can find either on your machine or in it’s documentation.

Separate colors before washing. Wash like colors together.

One half cup of baking soda added in with your detergent will help boost cleaning power and will neutralize odors.

One quarter cup of white vinegar added during the rinse cycle will reduce static cling, removing the need for dryer sheets.

Wash clothes in cold water wash unless they are heavily soiled. All detergents work in cold water.

With the hot days of summer upon us I’m sure we’ll start hearing the annual reminders about water conservation soon enough. Here are some tips I’ve collected on outdoor water conservation.

• Sweep your walks and driveways rather than hose them off.
• Water your lawn only if it needs it.
• Water your lawn during the coolest part of the day.
• Don’t water on a very windy day.
• If you have an automatic sprinkler system make sure the sprinklers are only watering the lawn and not the walks, driveway or street.
• If you have an automatic sprinkler system make sure sprinkler heads are clean and clear.
• Space lawn mowing a little further apart. Longer grass provides natural shade and holds moisture in the soil.
• Don’t overwater. If water is puddling you’ve used too much.
• Use a hose with a nozzle.
• Mulch around plants to hold in moisture.
• Aerate your lawn to help it retain moisture.
• Don’t use sprinklers for playing in.

Whether you’re driving across country, taking a train to the Midwest or going on a domestic flight, if you’ve got an illness you need to be prepared no matter where you are. Here’s a few tips for long domestic journeys if you take medications.
Before beginning a long journey check the label on how to store meds. Be aware if meds need to be kept cool, shaded or kept cold before storing them in a bag for a long flight, drive or rides.
Be prepared for delays, no matter how you’re traveling. People always think of flights getting delayed, but road trips can also get delayed for extreme weather. The best way to be prepared is to keep your medications in a carryon or purse.
Be familiar with your medical coverage, and what to do if an emergency arises while you’re traveling.
Store your medication in the original labeled containers. Bring a few more than you need in case of delay or a decision to extend the trip.
Check with your pharmacist about what foods, if any, may have an effect on your prescription. We all tend to indulge a little more when traveling when it comes to foods and beverages.
That’s the tips my family uses. If you have any to share I’d love to hear them.

If you don’t know how to prepare yourself and your home for the first 72 hours after a disaster, you should visit 72hours.org. 72 Hours is a website run by the City of San Francisco but offers valuable planning tips that would be useful to anyone.

There are two main areas to the site.  The first area is How To Prepare. This area teaches you to create an emergency plan, and what you’ll need ready and waiting for you to get through the first 72 hours after the disaster strikes. For each of the different topics discussed there are helpful tips included on how to help make your home safer on a day to day basis. The different topics include home safety, children, seniors & the disabled,  pets, utilities, food, water, first aid, go bag, phone, volunteer, training and community. I never realized how helpful it could be to have an out of state emergency contact in case of a natural disaster. The suggestion there that I want to do in our home is to create a “go bag” for all of the members of our home.

The second area of the site is the What To Do If section. This area instructs you on what to do in certain types of potentially disastrous situations.  The different topics included here are earthquake, storm/flooding, terror, contagious disease, transit safety, evacuation, fire, no power, tsunamis, sirens and shelter in place. I found the evacuation tips very helpful.

I found this site to be a very valuable resource that anyone could benefit from visiting. Are you and your home ready if a natural disaster strikes? Would you be able to get through the first 72 hours? Check out 72Hours.org and see if you’re ready. Let me know which idea you found most helpful.

Over the years I’ve learned of some alternative uses for toothpaste, the white paste kind, not the gel. Here they are.

Clean crayon on painted walls - Apply a little toothpaste to a damp cloth and rub on crayon. Wipe clean with a clean wet cloth.

Clean sneakers - Apply a little toothpaste to a damp cloth and rub on crayon. Wipe clean with a clean wet cloth.

Cleaning your nails - Put a little on a fingernail brush or an old toothbrush and clean your nails.

Bee stings and bug bites -  Rub a little toothpaste on the bite or sting and it won’t itch.

Defog your bathroom mirror - Rub a little toothpaste on your bathroom mirror and then rinse clean. This also works on swimming goggles.
Deodorize hands - After cutting onions or working with something with a strong odor, rub a little toothpaste between your hands and rinse.

Do you know any other alternative uses for toothpaste?